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2 Friday, June 3, 2016www.brooklintowncrier.com Paid For By The Rhonda Mulcahy Campaign Rhonda Weighs In. For years, I've been asked when I would run for council. Friends and colleagues in town know how involved I am and know how passionate I am about our community and its well-being. My answer has always been that the kids still needed me, but my crew is older now--16, 18, and 20 years old--and far from dependent on dear old mom. The position of Ward One Councillor demands 40-50 hours per week. It is the largest and the busiest Ward. I haven't put my name in before this election because you deserve someone who is prepared to give you their time. That time has come. For 16 years, I have attended council and planning meetings and public information centres (PICs), bringing you the news of future developments and plans at the Town of Whitby. I have advocated for things like stop signs and crosswalks. I have conveyed my inner thoughts to council and staff on various projects, including the library and our future sports complex. I have attended local PICs for one and a half decades. I have sat through detailed budget meetings through four terms of council and three Mayors. I have personally canvassed over 6000 homes in recent weeks and have confirmed that most of you, like me, love living here. It seems the results from the community survey from a few years back still hold true. We are proud of our community and care about its future and don't want to see it lose its small town charm. As homeowners, we are all concerned with property taxes. As a homeowner and taxpayer, I understand. For the past 10 years, tax increases have ranged from 2.44% to 6.60% in 2008. This is unsustainable for taxpayers. This years increase of 4.59%, which included a 1.5% surcharge, was necessary for fire services that had been neglected for many years. It is a priority for me to work with our Economic Development Department to attract industry along our 407 employment lands. This will help to offset our residential tax base and take pressure off homeowners. We have a great team at the Town of Whitby and I want to work with them to continue sourcing potential industry. A great model for what can happen is Spark Centre in Oshawa. Look it up. It's an upstart business for hi-tech industries. But there is more to Brooklin than property taxes. What I am hearing at the door are concerns about traffic congestion, safety in our community, a need for recreation facilities and the desire to work closer to home. In the meantime, we cannot lose sight of the vision for our future. New industries, and the young urban professionals that work for them, demand a community in which they can live, work, and play. Brooklin can be everything they're looking for. I've seen the plan for our downtown. It's beautiful. We must continue to press forward with the Downtown Brooklin by-pass (proposed route is up Durham #23 and across Brawley Road to #12). Once we municipally own Baldwin Street, we will be able to bury hydro lines, plant trees, install bump outs, interlock, benches, and bike racks, and improve parking. It's going to be amazing. I attended the Region's cycle-tourism event. In the U.S., cycling is a billion-dollar industry. With our recent provincial gift of $325,000 and our future planned trails and paths, we have an opportunity to create a great resource not only for residents but for others who we hope to attract to our community as well. Local businesses will also benefit from this incredible opportunity. The potential is exciting. Our trails and bike lanes will eventually connect Durham Forest in the north, through Ashburn, Heber Down Conservation Area, and Cullen Central Park, with the Water-front Trail System. We will need to make sure our residential community is connected through additional multi-purpose routes to this trail. Traffic congestion is frustrating. The Brooklin Secondary Plan looks to offer two things: additional traffic and new roads that may offer relief--in particular an east- west commuter road south of the 407 and north of Conlin Road that will connect clear across from Garrard to Ashburn. I've heard the 407 will potentially open at the end of June. With it, we hope to see Winchester Road get some reprieve. However, the intersection of Winchester and Thickson will be urbanized this summer, so don't expect traffic to get better immediately. Road improvements are a priority, as are future build outs that need to address the lack of roads leading out of Brooklin. We have to think proactively as we grow so that we are not reacting to problems later down the road. (pun intended) The Sports Facility Strategy PIC happened a few years ago, but we are still waiting for results. I have raised three active children in this community, which lacks serious sports infrastructure. I don't want to see all of you do the same. The proposed site for the new facility is at the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena. The facility itself addresses the immediate needs of our community: two ice surfaces, a 25m lane pool, and a running track around one of the ice surfaces. We also had some fantastic discussion at the PICs about an indoor skate or BMX park. I'd like to explore renewable energy options, to lower operational costs over time, and a back entrance over the creek leading to Baldwin Street. I want to avoid Winchester Road as the only access point. As your Councillor, I will be accessible to you and am able to commit the 40-50 hours per week necessary to do the job properly. I feel that it is important that the person representing Ward One is some-one who actually lives in Ward One and has done so for several years. I have been here all along fighting the good fight for the future of Brooklin. While my grandfather may no longer recognize our bustling town, its spirit will remain strong with a leader who understands our community. As always, you will find me at community events, but I also plan to host specific coffee shop greets, forming an informal advisory group. We have many talented and diverse people in our community who want to be a part of Brooklin's development. Their skills and talent can only bring more benefit to my decisions at council. I believe we can do this together. I have lived here my entire life (45 years). I am a small business owner (The Brooklin Town Crier). And for 16 years, I've been your voice in the community. Building on decades of experience, I have a unique relationship with Council and Staff and can navigate Town Hall and other levels of government with ease. I hope you will elect me as your North Ward Councillor. The remainder of this term is just over 2 years, but I was ready yesterday. Let's make this happen. Rhonda Mulcahy This is paid advertising from the Rhonda Mulcahy Campaign 905-655-7642 www.rhondamulcahy.com Getting Your Fair Share of Summer By Leanne Brown If you are anything like me, work and family can keep you busy. But there are some things that must happen, like a trip to the fair. The Brooklin Spring Fair is a summer rite of passage. For me, summer kicks off Fair weekend. I know it is still officially a few weeks away, but, in my heart, the fair means all those summer must haves, like lemonade and warm nights, are now right in season. Going to the Fair is an annual tradition for many Brooklin residents while growing up and continues to be in adulthood. The Brooklin Spring Fair reminds me of a huge town-wide reunion. I get to see people I don't see very often. When you go to the Brooklin Spring Fair, it is as if you get a picture of the people, places, businesses, food, and such of Brooklin…all in one place. I used to love going to the Fair to just sit and people watch. But, these days, I rarely have time to sit. A Fair day for me usually consists of seeing the parade, soaking up some sun, and enjoying some family fun. I love the Fair. I love the sights, the smells, the sounds. But mostly I love to see families making special memories. I love the smiles on the kids' faces as they hold strings of midway tickets in anticipation of the rides. And I feel their pain as they use up that last ticket and realize the rides are done for another year. I love watching the dunk tank "victim" purposely dunk themselves when a tiny child takes a turn throwing the ball. The child stares in amazement and jumps up and down for joy as behind them you see the whispered words of "Thank you" that come from the parents in the know. I love watching families celebrating Homecraft participation ribbons and big $1 winnings. Everywhere you go, something is happening: talent shows, pet shows, concerts; entertainment is everywhere. The agricultural exhibits are not only fun, but bring all of that learning to life for little ones. Pony rides and petting zoos are stepped up a notch when you actually see where milk comes from. Riding the Ferris wheel never gets old for me. Seeing the whole fairgrounds from above when it's lit up at night feels magical. And who can pass up a chance to win a snuggly stuffy on one of those Fair games? I love seeing teens enjoying the fair. With final exams on the horizon, a night with friends at the Fair just highlights the promise of a summer of fun just around the corner. The Fair for me is showing off your pet, viewing the artwork in the Vipond Arena, loud tractors and dirt flying, eating fudge, planning out midways rides according to the number of tickets they take, seeing all the animals; talking, hanging out, and simply enjoying the Fair for its mere simplicity. Before you get too busy this summer, make sure get your Fair share. Join me as I welcome summer…a few weeks early. I'll be the one chasing that little girl and her friends trailing strings of midway tickets. Editor's Note: Leanne Brown is one of The Brooklin Town Crier's talented and dedicated Community Writers. Her regular columns are "Our Brooklin Kids" and "Brooklin's Brightest." She recently completed the Warrior Dash. Be sure to read all about it in the June 17th issue! Brooklin Business insider: Recipe for a Great Community-Business Event by Kyle Paterson Many business owners I chat with are hesitant to share their community service contributions for fear of it being seen as a completely selfish and inauthentic act. I am an advocate of the opposite and believe that as long as your core values are intact, it creates win-win-win for all. You see, we as business people work hard to develop a following of people who trust us and our brand. If we have done our due diligence in selecting a cause, volunteer opportunity, or non-profit organization to put our heart, effort, and money behind, then I believe those who trust you want to know about it! Sharing your efforts helps to build greater awareness, develops further credibility, and inspires others to consider giving back in their own way as well. The event my business held on Sunday, May 29 - Bryson Blooms: A Community Celebration - was just this. I would like to share our recipe for creating a successful community-business event in the hopes that it will inspire others to do likewise. Before beginning, a self-check is required. We asked ourselves, "Why do we want to do this?" To keep getting to know people for sure, but, beyond that, we wanted to really say Thank You to the community for so warmly welcoming us. Our team is genuinely enthusiastic about being located in Brooklin, we care a lot about the great service clubs and community organizations that exist here, and we wanted to communicate that and to give something back. Next, quality ingredients are key. A must-have is a caring and energetic service club or not-for-profit sector organization that enjoys working with local business partners. Add to this a community of residents who enjoy spending their time at community-centric events, a company that values service clubs and their contribution to the community, a committed Chamber of Commerce, and a local government that strives to make community events successful. To prepare the recipe, first take the business organization that really loves the community it operates in and has a reason for hosting an event (Brooklin Office Grand Opening). Add to it a robust event planning team and a budget for charitable contribution. Second, take equal parts of a service club that focuses on bringing out the best in kids (Optimist Club of Brooklin), a group that focuses efforts on making our community beautiful (Brooklin Horticultural Society), and a charitable organization that provides love and care for children with special needs and the animals they interact with (WindReach Farm). Third, to add depth, reach for local musical talent, a community-oriented catering company, and balloons. Fourth, let ideas from the planning team flow to tack on other features and activities that families can enjoy (Batman/Elsa, a colouring table, gardening table, take home gifts). Fifth, bring the weather to a warm temperature and mix in lots of sunshine. Finally, before wrapping with a marketing plan, gently mix all the ingredients together in an easily accessible community space. At a last step, give everything a chance to set together for at least two weeks. Keep a close eye and stay in contact with all ingredients (partners). That, in a nutshell, is how we created Bryson Blooms. Community participation well exceeded expectations, and we heard from many in the community who attended on Sunday that they had a really great time so I guess the recipe worked! Author's Note: Thinking about planning a community-oriented event for your business? Drop me an email at kpaterson@brysoninsurance.ca, and we can set up a time to meet and discuss ideas! Ribbon cutting ceremony for Bryson Insurance on May 29. Photo credit: Connor Astley